Following Chris Parker’s webinar on Friday afternoon when he’d advised boats departing Hampton that the optimum window for crossing the Gulf Stream would be after sunset Saturday through midday on Sunday, we decided to leave with a favorable tide around 3am on Saturday. The wind was on the nose initially so we waited to set the sails until after we had passed the Chesapeake bridge-tunnel, had exited the bay and were well clear of the shipping lanes. The wind was out of the north or north northeast at about 15-19 knots initially so we were on a broad reach and making good boat speed with S/Vs ‘Charmed Life’ and ‘Rock Hopper’ nearby. The wind gradually became more westerly, which put us on a dead run, and dropped a little in strength so, rather than mess with unfamiliar poles in lumpy seas, we motor-sailed until after entering the Gulf Stream just after midnight. Along the way, we saw a couple of turtles, one of which was doing the backstroke and a pod of dolphins swimming around the boat, always such a joy to see.

With the change of course to cross the Stream and a wind shift back to NNE, we cut the engine and enjoyed a beam reach for most of the crossing in quite benign 3′ – 4′ seas, although the wind was a bit fickle in strength so sometimes the sails had trouble filling and at others we were steaming along at over 9 knots. Once through the Stream, around 6am, we altered course and are now heading straight for the USVI (although that could change in the days ahead) with wind dead behind us so, guess what? Yes, we are sailing wing-on-wing with the genoa poled out on our new whisker pole, which is safely secured with an uphaul and two downhauls (a foreguy and after guy). I am writing this around 11am and now we are stripping off the layers of clothing, the sea has become a deep blue, the clouds over the GS have dissipated, we have clear blue skies and we have about 4 boats within sight. Life is good!